COLLEGE OF THE REDWOODS
BASIC SKILLS COMMITTEE – 2013-14 OPERATING AGREEMENT
MEMBERSHIP, MISSION AND SCOPE
Draft (11/1/13)
Mission
Our mission is to improve the retention, persistence, and success of basic skills students.
Scope
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To recommend and support educational programs, student support services, and matriculation policies
that enhance retention, persistence, and academic success of basic skills students.
To promote the use of effective practices in developmental education for administrative, student
services, and instructional programs.
To provide professional development regarding effective practices in developmental education.
To work with Institutional Research in tracking basic skills students from entry to completion.
To allocate and oversee expenditures of BSI categorical funds.
Membership
The Basic Skills Committee (BSC), a sub-committee of the Enrollment Management Committee (EMC),
is led by two Co-Chairs: the Associate Dean of Humanities and a Faculty Co-Chair. Membership is
comprised of representatives of the EMC:
 2 Academic Associate Deans: Erin Wall, Tracey Thomas
 1 Faculty from Reading/English: Pam Kessler
 1 Faculty from Math: Steve Jackson
 1 Faculty from CTE: In Progress
 1 Faculty from Languages: Kristie Carlsen
 1 Faculty At-Large: Harry Pyke
 1 Manager’s Council: Sheila Hall
 1 Director, Business & Training Center: Julia Peterson
 Ex Officio—Director of Institutional Research: Angelina Hill
Meetings
Meetings will be set by consensus process but will be conducted at least twelve times each academic year.
The regular meeting schedule for the calendar year will be set at the first meeting in September but
additional meetings will be set as necessary to ensure that work is completed.
Decision Making Process, Membership Responsibility, and Ground Rules
The BSC will make decisions based on consensus in which decisions are a synthesis of everyone’s ideas
and incorporating everyone’s best thinking and aims for general agreement and support among those
present. However, the committee is willing to move forward with a decision where there is general
support among the majority members present.
The membership shall:
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Uphold student’s needs as the primary focus of all committee work.
Promote an atmosphere of innovation and integrity.
Express opinions in ways that develops mutual understanding and promotes collaboration.
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Listen to all the facts and available information from different sources prior to making judgments and
decisions.
Use time efficiently and stay on task.
Enjoy the opportunity to collaborate, communicate, and learn by making sure each voice is heard.
Accept and support decisions voted upon as final. Recommended revisions will be put into an
ongoing file for the calendared periodic updating scheduled and agreed upon by the Committee thus
facilitating the Committee’s work of moving forward to completion of its work.
Planning Principles
The BSC embraces the following planning principles:
1. The planning process and the plans that it yields will be outcome-based, learning-centered, and will
support the mission of the College.
2. The planning process will be collaborative by operating within the collegial consultative structure.
3. The process will build trust through effective communication and negotiation, by providing a safe
environment to identify and challenge assumptions and by supporting agreements on shared values.
4. The process will be meaningful in that it will help the College to establish a vision of the future.
5. The process will be data-driven, using qualitative and quantitative data, routinely reviewed as the plan
is implemented, with the aim of continuous improvement and demonstrating that educational
effectiveness is a demonstrated priority.
6. The process will be as simple as possible while yielding a viable plan and integrating planning into
permanent governing structures and college-wide meetings.
7. The process, its language, its products, and the results of the plan will be communicated to all
employees internally.
Communication
As a subcommittee of the Enrollment Management Committee, the BSC is a standing agenda item on the
EMC agenda and will regularly report on any substantial information and recommendations.
The BSC is committed to a collaborative process and will hold meetings, consultations with key
constituencies, and discussions with integrated planning committees, and the senior leadership team, all of
which combine to enable broad based participation in the various phases of creating, updating, and
evaluating the annual Basic Skills plan.
Information and recommendations generated by the BSC will be shared with the Cabinet, various
planning and governance committees, and the college community.
2013-14 Planning Process Activities and Outcomes
The BSC will develop annual planning activities to support the college’s Strategic, Educational and
Annual Plans.
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